Many athletes attempt to track their performance. For example, runners often want to know how far and how quickly they have run. Bicyclists often want to know how quickly they are peddling. In some situation, bicyclists make use of bicycle computers that act as speedometers, odometers, and cadence counters. These devices typically receive information from sensors mounted with respect to the moving elements of a bicycle and convert this information into a bike speed value or some other desired metric. Many of these conventional bicycle computers are special purpose devices that have a display and are fixed to the handlebars of a bicycle to allow a rider to view displayed information while riding.
In addition to the bicycle-related information mentioned above—namely speed, distance, and cadence—some conventional bicycle computers and pedometers may also display the current time and/or heart rate information for the rider or runner. While these conventional systems represent a nice option for many, these systems have several shortcomings.